[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Do you not feel Joey that sometimes a second job can benefit the service you're able to provide as an MP and make you more appreciative of certain issues outside Westminster politics? Being an MP is a very time consuming job I'm sure - I don't envy those who do it and feel they can get unfairly criticised - but I do also think that second jobs can complement the role that MPs serve. MPs used to not be paid at all, it was thought that by being salaried they'd be less capable of serving the public interest. I wonder if someone only has their MP wage to fall back on then it can encourage the whole career politician mindset where the only goal is to maintain your seat and stay within that Westminster bubble. By all intents and purposes MPs do get a good wage, its true. But there also many of them who could earn a lot more in different careers. William Hague made this point today: you try and cap secondary earnings, well what about politicians writing books? Is it ok for it to be an unsuccessful book - falling below the cap - but not a successful one. What if an MP is also a farmer (like Mark Spencer) - do they have to quit as an MP if they have a good harvest and then seek re-election when the crops fail? It's a very problematic thing.

If constituents feel that their MP is too tied up with a second job to suitably represent them then they can vote him out. We don't need a law to say what MPs can and can't do in their own time.

Well yes, I agree with just about all that, however I do think we have a great number of MPs who in fact have little knowledge across all society who have gone into parliament carrying all the baggage of their own interests that exist in their life.

I think if a Farmer is elected as an MP then of course he should need to be able to devote time to that, it is his livelihood if his time as an MP was cut short for any reason.

I think now, with fixed term parliaments it is harder to get rid of an MP not doing their job, once elected they are there for 5 years and that is some time to wait to removed someone no longer serving the constituency that actually fought to get them elected.
Such as for those who trusted and voted LibDem in 2010 and are still waiting to get that vote back to vote for someone else who maybe would honour the trust given.

One of the things for me, is there are probably way too many safe seats in parliament, if MPs were looking over theri shoulders at the prosepect of really losing their seats at general elections, I think we would get better politicians.
At present, rolling into a safe seat for a MP is a massive bonus, they can do much or even possibly nothing at all of note but be there for ages.
When they have outside businesses and interests, they can concentrate on them rather than worry about their time as an MP.

I would be looking at the creation of constituencies that left very few and hopefully no massively safe seats.

We,I think anyway, need to come out of our cocoons of our own little worlds and interests.
To serve the public,and I still would consider it an honour to serve as an MP,should if it happens be the absolute main focus of an MPs life.
What happens is, a fair amount of the time,I would say, is that those with their heavy commitments who come into Westminster only have those interests to bring to Westminster.

The sad fact is, most MPs likely have not a single idea how some of society exists or operates.
I also think and MP should be an MP because they want to geninely serve the public and Country as a whole,not to be something just to add to a list of experience or achievements.

Which I why I think, with some flexibility, common sense and understanding, that outside 'earning' interests as to MPs should be looked at and new rulings put in place.

A Farmer as an MP,to take your example, already has a knowedge of across the board of society.
What people need, how business operates,budgeting problems, and in fact all its needs.
It is already too a great commendable public service really,someone like that,where it is their livelihood,should be encouraged as a Farmer brings far more to politics,in my view, than most who are just looking to add to their wealth and status.